NFL Christmas Day games: 2 matchups important for Browns NFL draft order goals

With two weeks left in the 2025 NFL season, the Cleveland Browns are in the “Race to the Bottom” with a strong chance at selecting with one of the first two picks in the 2026 NFL draft order. In Week 17, the Pittsburgh Steelers could “ruin” the Browns chances for one of those top picks, and the NFL could have a desire for a big upset to keep the AFC North race wide open.

The NFL decided to give football fans some gifts on the Christmas Day schedule, but, like a kid growing out of a gift that was bought months ago, the outcome is less favorable. Of the six teams playing on Christmas, only the Detroit Lions are still fighting for a playoff spot. The Denver Broncos have secured a postseason bid and are still playing for seeding.

The matchups on Thursday will be full of backup quarterbacks with starters Patrick Mahomes, Jayden Daniels, and JJ McCarthy missing the games for their teams.

For the Browns rooting guide, two games matter but for different reasons:

• Broncos over Chiefs – With Cleveland having the Jacksonville Jaguars first-round pick, Browns fans do not want the Jags to have a chance for the top overall seed in the AFC, which would push that selection down a few spots automatically
• Commanders over Cowboys – Washington already has their fourth victory this year, but Cleveland has a chance to win both of their last two games. Another Commanders victory, even if it seems highly unlikely, will push another team further away in the standings

Neither game is as important as the games that will be played on Sunday. We will bring you another 2026 NFL draft order rooting guide for the weekend’s matchups.